Provide relief to COVID affected families: Gauhati High Court directs DLSA

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: In a plea concerning the plight of marginalized and daily wage workers residing in Nagaon district who were unable to sustain themselves in view of the pandemic, the Gauhati High Court has directed District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Secretary, Nagaon to provide immediate relief to such families in form of food and other daily needs.

The order was issued by a division bench comprising of Chief Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia and Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak while hearing a PIL (38/2021) raising concern that the marginalized and daily wage workers in Nagaon are not being able to sustain themselves in this pandemic. The PIL also stated that many of the children, who are getting mid-day meal in the schools are also deprived of the same as the schools are presently not functional. The petitioner had already surveyed 43 villages of the district before submitting the claims.

The Court has sought a detailed reply from the State government within three weeks. The next hearing will be on be July 23.

The Court has directed the DLSA to deploy its Para Legal Volunteers in the affected areas.

"Let the Para Legal Volunteers conduct the survey and give a report thereafter to the Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Nagaon. The Secretary thereafter shall apprise the Deputy Commissioner, Nagaon of its report, who shall then provide immediate relief to such families in form of food and other daily needs," the Court said.

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